Carmen Vote; MBTA Rolls

Members of the Boston Carmen's Union Local 589 voted unanimously last night to end the work stoppage that halted all subway, trolley and bus operations in the city of Boston yesterday, forcing more than 250,000 commuters to find alternative means of transportation.

Union members walked off their jobs yesterday in protest of a bill currently in the state House of Representatives that would take out of the Carmen's contracts the guaranteed cost-of-living increases now given at the expiration of each union contract.

After the work-stoppage was announced Wednesday night, Gov. Michael S. Dukakis issued a statement calling the Carmen union's action "irresponsible and illegal."

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Mitchell Sikors, assistant state attorney general, obtained a temporary restraining order from Suffolk Superior Court Judge John M. Greaney at 12:30 p.m., ordering the transit workers to return to work.

Greaney issued a permanent injunction at 6 p.m. Donald Abbott, president of local 589, then announced the union members would meet to decide whether they would obey the injunction.

The unanimous vote to return to work came through at 9 p.m.

Charles Williams, a spokesman for the MBTA, said last night, "We are delighted with the vote and are glad commuters will be able to get to Boston normally tomorrow."

Michael Widner, press secretary for Dukakis, said last night that the governor's office was pleased with the union vote, and added that "the union did not get the public sympathy that they wanted for their cause."

One MBTA bus driver who asked to remain unidentified said "I don't think the union thought it was going to win, but we had to at least voice our opinion. The process worked better because by 11 o'clock [Wednesday night]most of us knew that we weren't going to work."

"The cost-of-living clause looked good for the State House when they gave it to us, but now the clause is good for us so they want to take it from us," he added.

The bill that dropped the guaranteed cost-of-living increase for the Carmen's union was passed by the state Senate Wednesday. Dukakis has said that he will sign the bill into law if it is passed by the House.

Dukakis released a statement yesterday that said,"The bill will bring the collective bargaining process of the Carmen's union into line with that of other public employee unions and insure that the property-tax-payers who foot the bill for the T are taken into consideration when wages are awarded."

Union officials could not be reached for comment last night.